Revitalizing and reinvesting in Lakeview business

Brad Augustine has invested thousands in providing a second life to an old home built in the 1920s along N. 4th Street, with big plans for the future.

In November 2010 Augustine purchased the house located on F strret for $85,000, at the time a crumbling structure with poor foundation close to being condemned.

Following one business attempt and time away to study chainsaw carving, Augustine is back and hard at work improving the structure to house another business soon.

Recently almost $30,000 worth of foundation and siding work was completed, with new porches built and plumbing improvements done. The exterior looks new, while done in a style that still maintains the original construction of the 1920s.

The interior is another matter, with construction ongoing to give this once run-down structure a new life. In all Augustine estimates that $120,000 will be put into repairs to revitalize the structure, with hopes of moving his wife’s business, Outback Yarn Company, into the house, or establishing another new business.

While demolishing and building a new structure may have been less expensive, Augustine prefers revitalizing the old house in a way that maintains the same lot layout while giving the building a second life.

“Even with the new foundation, it has the exact same footprint, and the parking lot will be the same,” said Augustine.

In addition to the complete overhaul of the house, Augustine plans to also add a handicap accessible ramp, a new driveway, sidewalk, new asphalt, and a freshly painted exterior. Augustine uses licensed contractors for all work, along with the 4-5 hours per day he puts in on the reconstruction himself.

Be it a yarn store or some other business, through a lot of determination and paint whatever business comes to occupy the building will have a renewed and bright facility thanks to Augustine’s efforts to revitalize and reinvigorate Lakeview’s look, one building at a time.